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A former student who raised a civil action against a man who was cleared of raping her has been awarded damages of £80,000 in a landmark case.

The woman, a second year student at St Andrews University at the time, said she woke after drinking too much during freshers’ week to find she was being raped by 23-year-old Stephen Coxen.

Following the ruling she appealed to other women who found themselves in a similar position to “speak up”.

Mr Coxen, from Bury, Greater Manchester, was acquitted of a charge of rape in 2015 after a jury returned a “not proven” verdict.

The woman, known only as Miss M, then raised a civil action at the Personal Injury Court in Edinburgh in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in Scotland.

Sheriff Robert Weir said in his ruling that her evidence was "cogent, compelling and persuasive".

He found that Mr Coxen took advantage of her when she was incapable of giving meaningful consent because of the effects of alcohol.

The woman was a second year student at St Andrews UniversityCredit:
PA

The sheriff said she had been distressed and had resisted, but Coxen continued to rape her.

He stated in the written judgment: “I therefore determine that at some time between 2am and 2.30am on Saturday, September 14, 2013…the defender took advantage of the pursuer when she was incapable of giving meaningful consent because of the effects of alcohol, that he continued to do so even after she manifested distress and a measure of physical resistance, and that he raped her.”

Miss M, now 23, said she felt vindicated by the ruling, adding: “It has taken me five years to get justice, and for society to send Stephen Coxen a message that what he did was wrong.

“To the many, many others who find themselves in a position like this: speak up.

“It is only by telling these stories we can exert the pressure that is so clearly needed to improve our criminal justice system.”

The judgement followed an emotional hearing in June which heard that Coxen, then 18, had driven up from Manchester to visit a friend who was beginning his second year at St Andrews University.

Coxen met the woman, an 18-year-old student, at the Lizard Lounge in the Fife town.

She told the court that during the evening she drank four cans of cider, a bottle of rose wine, a bottle of champagne and three glasses of sparkling wine mixed with vodka.

She said she later woke up naked in her bed to find a naked stranger having sex with her.

She told the earlier hearing she thought she was going to die and had since suffered panic attacks, flashbacks and “night terrors”, for which she had been prescribed medication.

Mr Coxen's lawyer, Mark Thorley, said his client was considering the judgement.